Spectral condensation in laboratory two-dimensional turbulence
Lei Fang, Nicholas T. Ouellette
Abstract
Due to the inverse energy cascade, when the energy dissipation length scale in two-dimensional turbulence is larger than the domain size, energy is expected to condense into the lowest allowed mode. Thus, the appearance of large-scale structures is often taken as a proxy for spectral condensation, particularly in laboratory realizations of two-dimensional turbulence. We show that large-scale flows alone, however, are not robust indicators of spectral condensation, because small domains may both weaken the inverse cascade and introduce new dissipation mechanisms.
Topics & Concepts
Energy cascadeTurbulenceDissipationCascadeCondensationInverseStatistical physicsPhysicsScale (ratio)Length scaleTurbulence kinetic energyK-omega turbulence modelMechanicsComputational physicsMathematicsMeteorologyChemistryThermodynamicsGeometryQuantum mechanicsChromatographyFluid Dynamics and Turbulent FlowsPlant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsMeteorological Phenomena and Simulations